What is a Christian?

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. - John 8:34-35 (LSB)

Here are the words of our Lord to sinners, inviting them to come to Him for forgiveness, and blessing, and peace, and joy, and eternal life. This is our Lord’s own invitation. Those of us who’ve been in the church for any length of time are used to invitations. They have been a part of the church, at least in America, for many, many years. Perhaps today there will be thousands of invitations given across America in churches to sinners to come to Christ. However, I think I’m safe in saying that few of them will follow the pattern of our Lord’s own invitation. It doesn’t sound, perhaps, like any invitation you ever heard in a church. This invitation deals a death blow to man-centered, self-centered invitations. This is not an invitation to health, or wealth, or fulfillment, or prosperity, or healing, or a boosted self-image, or trouble-free living. This is an invitation to self-denial, cross bearing, and obedience. But this is the Lord’s invitation, and this is the one that we must give if we would be faithful. - John MacArthur

Q: What is a Christian?

A: God lives in me.

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him." - John 14:23 (LSB)

1. Deny yourself
To disown, to refuse to associate with, or to companion with someone. That’s what the verb means. What you are saying is, “I no longer want to associate with the person that I am. I realize my sinfulness. I realize I cannot earn this. I abandon my self-effort. I abandon the works righteousness system that dominated Judaism and dominates all religion in the world that you can be good enough for God to accept you. I abandon all self-effort. I abandon all self-confidence. But it’s more than that. I abandon all self-will; I abandon my own ambitions, my own agenda, my own plans. - John MacArthur

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. - Galatians 2:20 (LSB)

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the working out of the good is not. - Romans 7:18 (LSB)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. - Psalm 51:17 (LSB)

He must increase, but I must decrease. - John 3:30 (LSB)

Growth in grace is growth downward: it is the forming of a lower estimate of ourselves; it is a deepening realization of our nothingness; it is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God’s mercies. - A. W. Pink

2. Take up your cross
To be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ. All suffering is not a cross, it is suffering, rejection, and persecution that comes due to a faithful connection to Christ.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:27 (LSB)

Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for ev'ry one,
And there's a cross for me.

The consecrated cross I'll bear
Till death shall set me free,
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there's a crown for me - Thomas Shepherd

3. Follow Christ
To imitate Christ with loyal obedience.

The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. - 1 John 2:6 (LSB)

You are My friends if you do what I command you. - John 15:14 (LSB)

Am I a Christian?

1. Do I love Christ perfectly?
I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my inner being.” - Psalm 40:8 (LSB)

2. Do I love Him as I should?
If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples - John 8:31b (LSB)

3. Do I love Him at all?
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15 (LSB)

Be Encouraged to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ.